Serbian ruling coalition drafts bill on status of Vojvodina

21/09/2008

BELGRADE, Serbia -- The ruling coalition has prepared a new bill that would set Vojvodina's status in line with Serbia's latest constitution, adopted in 2006. The bill, published by the Belgrade-based daily Politika on Friday (September 19th), basically confirms the current state of affairs: Vojvodina has been functioning as an autonomous province with a high degree of self government ever since Slobodan Milosevic's regime was brought down. The province will have its own symbols, as well as a separate budget and institutions, as has been the case so far. Debate is expected by the end of September, with a vote expected on October 14th. The Serban Radical Party and other nationalist formations oppose the new legislation. (Politika, Tanjug, Vecernje Novosti, B92 - 19/09/08)